Unfaithful?
by Tilith
Summary: Spin-off-prequel-thingy to my story "get it over" centering CyBee. 'She was tough, strong, straight-forward. She was loyal and... faithful? When her relationship with the Herald goes down, Bumblebee asks herself how faithful she can be when a certain half-robot starts to capture her eyes and her heart...'


_Hey dudes and dudettes! I thought I should explore a bit the beginning of Cyborg and Bumblebee's relationship I implied several times in my story „Get it over". So this is kind of a spin-off-prequel-thingy to it focusing on those two characters who usually just play an underpart in my (and a lot of other) fanfictions. And I dedicate it to those who usually are as unnoticed as those two – my dear reviewers. I thank you very much to giving me your support. Thanks, enjoy and SMILE!_

_Oh, and just if you wondered, I couldn't help but include a tiny scene of BBRae! Aaand sorry for the horrible layout, I had to edit on my portable what kinda reaally sucks... so I apologize._

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**Unfaithful? **

Night had fallen upon Steel City, the stars glistened in the midnight blue sky and the sea gently caressed the shore as the clocks stroke eleven p.m. while most people were sound asleep. They knew they could rest due to a team of young heroes called 'Titans East' who watched over the city vigilantly.

Their fearless leader Bumble Bee was one of the few who was still awake, but not because of her demanding job. Her team mates Speedy and Aqualad had the night watch, while the other two members Màs and Menos were already dreaming of tacos, like it was appropriate for their young age. She knew she should be hitting the pillow right now too, she would have the morning shift, instead of fidgeting nervously with her communicator, but she just couldn't. There was too much occupying her mind right now, or more specifically two guys.

One of them was her boyfriend of two years Mal Dunkan, also known as Herald, who was currently on a tour through the whole country with the jazz band he played the lead trumpet. He was supposed to call her three hours ago, but like many other evenings he left her hanging.

Not much of the gentleman-behavior he had charmed her with after the big fight against the brotherhood of evil had survived through their relationship.

Now they argued more than they spoke, meaning she would banter and shout and he would ignore it and wait until she would have steamed off. How they were supposed to solve their problems if he would not even acknowledge them, she asked herself over and over again. She always had cooed over his laid-back attitude but with the flow of time she frowned over his lack of passion.

The only thing he was passionate about was music, which always came first. A concert or a mission? The concert. A date with her or a jam with his friends? The jam. Nothing was as important as his music and it hurt her more than she liked to admit that she was not his number one, even if she was good at hiding that fact.

But what really ticked her off lately were his requests to her. He demanded her to wear a certain dress, to wait for him at a certain spot in the city, to buy him a certain item… He didn't ask, he demanded. She hated it. And so she told him, that there was no man alive telling her what to do. Again and again and again. Still he got vexed at her every time and ignored her even more.

Everyone always talked about how hard it was to fall in love or even harder to maintain a relationship, but they surely had no clue of how hard and hurtful it was to fall out of love, she mused. Because when she was honest with herself she had to admit that there was not a lot left she felt in favor of Mal and it wasn't the first time in the past few months she asked herself why she even held on to their relationship.

Even more so when she considered her feelings for the other one who kept her awake. Cyborg, founding member of the original Teen Titans, half-metal man with a heart of gold and intelligence of a scientist, a true friend and good advisor, had slowly but steadily wormed himself into her lonely heart. She scolded herself for being so cheesy.

She was Karen Beecher, after all! The one and only Bumblebee! She was tough and strong, she was straight-forward, some even called her cocky, and she was sincere. She was loyal and… was she still as faithful as she always had been proud to be? Because she couldn't help thinking of Cyborg – also Sparky to her or Vic as she usually called him now – without a slight tinge of guilt. The way he made her heart beat faster, the way he looked at her, the way he made her cheer up and smile when she felt down, the way he patched her up when she was emotionally hurt again and again had made him become something more than a friend over the last couple of months. With him she could argue and fight, with him she could be rude and cocky, with him she could talk for hours, fight for hours, laugh for hours. With him she felt like she could be entirely herself. And it felt so right it could only be wrong as long as she was with another…

Unfaithful! Traitor! Liar! Her mind kept cursing her for her emotions, kept beating herself up for feeling what she felt. And it was the reason why she was still up, fidgeting with her communicator. She knew she should call Mal, yell at him for ditching their phone-date, making him apologize, making their relationship work again.

But all she wanted to do was to call Vic, talk to him, joke with him, smile for him, maybe fight a bit with him, so they could make up again later.

She couldn't decide if she wanted to be clingy or unfaithful, both options didn't match with her self-esteem…

When had she started to fall out of love with the boy she called hers and fell for a man who was partly made of metal?

She remembered a particular night five months ago, that maybe had triggered everything.

It was springtime, warm and promising, when Mal's tour had started. He had invited her to the second concert they would give, in a Jazz Bar in Stringtown. She couldn't come to the grand opening he had told her; he would be too nervous and would have no time for her at all. So she was invited to the second. And she should just for once please let her hair down, it was a rather laid-back place, just like him.

She had agreed to come, with the bitter thought 'always second' in her mind, but she wouldn't let her hair down. To please him she had put it into an elegant knot in her neck instead of the stern pigtails, wore jeans and a plain black shirt with long sleeves to appear more laid-back. To hide her wings she wore the holo-rings Cyborg had made for every Titan.

Now she sat in Jerry's Jazz Jar at the bar, observing how her boyfriend played his jazz trumpet (of course not the Horn of Gabriel, no one wanted portals to strange dimensions appear in the middle of a jam) and flirted with the fan girls during breaks. At her arrival he had greeted her with a sigh and asked why she never could loosen up and had got on stage. No question she was genuinely pissed, sipped on a energy drink she hated and only had ordered to fuel her anger. Tonight she would not let him escape their argument, he would have to talk, she simply would force him.

Before their next song Mal announced: "This one is especially for all the pretty ladies that came here for our show tonight."

She gritted her teeth so hard she already thought they would crack, until a warm, deep voice startled her.

"Breathe, Karen. You need oxygen so we can beat him up together later" the tall and muscled man at her side smirked.

"Sparky!?" she exclaimed genuinely surprised, her anger instantly forgotten. Cyborg was usually hard to recognize when he wore his own holo-rings, but since she had met him like this for the first time ever at the HIVE Academy, she knew him right away.

"Yours truly. You look dashing, hope he complimented you on it" he winked.

"What brings you here in this area?" she asked ignoring his compliment although she was flattered by his comment. Since he had helped establish the Titans East they had regularly called each other over their communicators, giving each other support and advice with whatever matter. They were friends, only close friends.

He gave her another smile before he sat down next to her and ordered an Ice Tea.

"Well, originally I wanted to take Sarah to the gig, she's a huge fan. But since we broke up two months ago I came with a friend."

He pointed over his shoulder to a table where a bulky black haired man sat surrounded by several women talking to him giggling.

"Is that… Gnark? In a suit?" she wondered with big eyes as she had followed his hint.

"Sure is. He's quite popular with the ladies it seems. The tall, dark, silent stranger still works for a lot of them apparently…" he chuckled without a tinge of envy in his voice.

She turned back to him asking: "Why Gnark?"

"He's kinda lonely since Kole spends so much time with Jericho" he shrugged, "and since none of my family could come, you know, BB hates concert due to his enhanced hearing, Rae can't stand the crowd with the pumped up emotions and our dream couple is on a date, I thought it's better than let the ticket get wasted."

Karen always had found it endearing how fondly he had talked of his friends and team mates, augmenting it by moving on to call them his family. A soft smile spread on her lips as no more anger but fondness filled her.

"You're such a big softie, Sparky" she taunted.

"Yeah, because metal is so soft everyone loves to get close…" he replied dryly.

She nudged him playfully with her elbow as she said: "You know what I mean! It's the inner qualities that matter!"

He gave her an intense look, taking a sip of his beverage without breaking the eye contact. She desperately tried to calm her suddenly faster heart beat. This was a first and it surely wasn't the way she should feel about him.

"You should explain that to Sarah maybe. She saw it a bit… different" he eventually stated.

"How so?" she inquired.

"See… we… we broke up because I wanted to take our relationship one step further but she… um… she made clear that she could never share her bed with a machine in an intimate way, because this would be disgusting" he explained with a slight blush on his dark cheeks.

Anger flared up again inside of her but this time it wasn't due to her own hurt pride but due to the hurt a close friend had endured.

"That bitch! She never used a dildo though? What an idiot!" she growled.

He chuckled slightly at her reaction: "Don't sweat it, Karen. I'm used to people treating me like a thing. My family taught me long time ago to ignore such people and what I am really worth. It's just difficult to find a woman who finds me sexually attractive."

"I think you are sexually attractive!" she blurted still angered at the ex-girlfriend of him, and added after realizing what she just had said: "And I am sure there are tons of others who think the same…"

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Sure, if you weren't in a relationship now I could take you home tonight… And the others are standing in line in front of the tower, I just didn't see them yet because they are using invisibility capes or something…" he droned so sarcastically he could even have matched up with Raven.

"You… you know what I mean, and don't you dare making fun of me, Stone!" she glared with a furious blush.

"Or you'd do what, Beecher? Blow your cover and the one of your boyfriend?" he taunted with his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest and a vicious grin on his face.

Still fuelled she grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, slightly brushing his neck where she could feel his skin but also the hidden metal cover of his real body, what gave her a shudder down her spine.

"Or I'll beat your sorry excuse of a but back to Jump City. You know I can!" she growled menacingly without any intention of laying a violent hand on him at all. It was just part of their friendship to banter and she wished it could be part of her relationship with Mal. It made her feel so… alive.

"Oh, I'd really like to see that…" he smirked not in the slightest intimidated while he inched even closer until their noses barely touched, "but you know a beaten but isn't so much fun to have in bed."

The air between them seemed charged with some kind of electricity, making her breath hitch and her anger falter. She knew they only teased but why did it feel so much like… flirting?

Cyborg suddenly broke their stare and glanced over her shoulder, his grin fell immediately.

"He has some nerve..." he huffed seriously annoyed with the sight. She reluctantly released him and turned to witness how her actual boyfriend not only was harmlessly flirting like she was but outgoing hitting on some fan girls, one dancing with him on the stage during the performance. They were so close it almost looked like their hips had joined; still Mal was able to incredibly play his instrument.

Karen had never been allowed to join him up there, she could distract him, he had said… But what really disturbed her at the moment was the fact that she wasn't half as jealous or angry by the unfaithful actions of her boyfriend as she thought she should have. But it hurt. Her heart felt like breaking.

"What'cha say if we quit the beating up each other and beat them up instead?" her companion offered scowling at the stage.

She took a deep breath and shook her head answering: "No. I'd prefer some fresh air…"

Cyborg simply nodded, grasped her hand and pulled her through the crowd, away from the man she once had thought to love forever. The cool metal against her hot skin gave her comfort and as the chilly air swayed against her as they exited the bar felt soothing. She took several deep breaths, holding on to Cyborgs hand like he was the only thread that held her in reality and sanity. She felt like she had to throw up right in front of that damn bar where they stood while in the same time her inside seemed to be so empty she wasn't even sure if she even had a stomach.

"Karen?" he cautiously asked.

"I'm… I'm fine. Just give me a minute… Just…" she stammered. Then it turned into sobs as her tears started to fall. That was when he had token her in his strong arms, held her and comforted her until she had finally calmed down.

With the back of her hand she whipped off the last tears while he gave her a handkerchief.

"Thanks… and sorry" she hiccupped before she blew her nose.

He simply shrugged: "What are friends for? And there is nothing to be sorry. He hurt you, so you needed to cry to wash the pain away. I would have been surprised if you would have stood indifferent."

"But I am no ordinary girl that just cries when she's hurt! I am a heroine and whoever hurts me has to take the consequences!" she growled.

"There is the Bee I know!" he softly cheered, "But even heroes and heroines are allowed to cry from time to time."

She returned his smile shakily as she said: "Thanks, Vic. For being here. For being you."

"You… you called me Vic…" he stuttered in utter surprise and another slight blush.

"What, rather prefer Sparky?" she smirked despite the prominent ache in her chest. It still hurt, still would for a while, but the man next to her made it way better than the initial pain had been.

He shook his head with one of his signature booming laughter, after calming down again he grinned: "Nah, Vic is… Vic is fine with me… But you, Karen, are really something else!"

This time it was her who initiated the hug, just because she felt like it, while he responded.

"Don't let yourself get hurt of him. Talk to him. Beat the crap out of him if needed. But make sure he respects you, because you deserve it, Karen! You're a strong and independent woman and no one should make you cry without getting beaten up for it" he murmured softly.

She breathed in his scent of motor oil, barbeque and leather, her courage rebuild with every word of him. Somewhere in the back of her mind a nagging voice asked why he made her feel so much better when the man who should only made her feel worse. But she quickly shoved it back where it had come from; she couldn't afford such questions now, she was already enough confused.

Reluctantly she wriggled herself out of his embrace, suddenly more aware of the heat his body had given even if the surface of him was cool, the night was still chillier.

"I guess I better go and talk some sense into him while I'm still angry enough" she failed to joke as she looked up to Cyborg. Vic, she corrected herself inwardly.

He gave her a shaky smile and gently stroked her cheek.

"Go get the respect that you deserve" he softly smiled, then turned and walked towards the entry again, holding the door open for her.

"You know there is no man who can tell me what to do, Vic, but this time I'll probably make an exception" she stated more calmly than she felt.

With her head high and a confident look in her eyes she walked back into the bar, doing exactly what her good friend had recommended.

This night she literary dragged Mal off of the stage and made him talk. He apologized and promised to behave for the rest of the tour; he somehow had talked himself out and made her forgive him for the time being. They had made up and tried to make it work again for a few weeks, but all too soon the old routine had returned and Karen found herself talking more to a certain half-robot than to her boyfriend. She knew it wasn't right but she couldn't help it.

The clock had passed midnight and Karen still found no sleep, still fidgeted with her communicator, still couldn't decide what to do. But the memory had given her an idea.

She flipped her communicator open and waited for the connection she had chosen.

Despite the late hour only mere seconds passed until she heard his signature greeting: "Yo, Karen, what's up?"

"Vic… I'm not that sure anymore…" she sighed.

"What's bothering you? He didn't ditch you again, did he?" he asked concerned. How could anyone not love this overprotective teddy bear, she asked herself smiling fondly.

"No… I mean, yes he did, but… can you give me your opinion on something?" she said quietly. His opinion had become important to her since another night event two months ago.

Mal and she had been at the second annual 'Titans Together' party at the end of August together, not planning that a rather mischievous Argent and Hotspot had 'heated up' the thing by spiking the drinks with some alcohol. Of course, mayhem was ensured. One of the most hilarious sights had been Beast Boy, who had started to grow slightly, Raven, who opened up more, and Vic, good natured as ever, running around to prevent others doing things they would regret the next morning, because they were apparently the only three not affected by the alcohol. The first was immune due to his partly animal metabolism, she due to her half-demon nature and the later due his half-mechanical being.

An outrageous Robin had yelled at the two responsible ones the next morning as soon as he had been able and not as loud as he had wished. But their punishment had been tough: They had to listen to all the traditional Tamaran poems and songs Starfire could perform in five hours. The alien had recovered quickly from her hangover thanks to her nine stomachs and gladly obliged. Argent and Hotspot had immediately sworn to wait until everyone was twenty-one before they would bring alcohol ever again.

Although that night most of them had enjoyed the experience as long as it had lasted. Karen had never felt so carefree in her life, although she still knew what she did and only was a little dizzy. Until Mal threw up over a passed out Lightning. That had been the moment she had decided to fly them home, knowing that the rest would join them the next morning with the car. Without telling anyone goodbye (because they were either too drunk to remember the next day anyways or too busy rushing around) she had left from the roof of the Titans main tower, Mal cradled in her arms like a toddler. She was strong, she could handle it, she knew. The only problem right then and there was to fly straight. Somehow everything seemed to slightly sway from one side to another.

It didn't take long until Jump City police noticed her difficulties, sent a helicopter to make her land and ask her uncomfortable questions. Just before they made her walk down a straight line, what definitely would have been her doom, the T-Car parked next to them and Vic got out of it.

He greeted the officers like old friends, they greeted him like fans and soon she was off the hook, safely seated next to him in the front seat while Mal snored on the back seat and Vic drove them towards Steel City.

First they didn't speak, he kept his eyes on the road while only the frown he wore gave his anger away and the silence felt heavy between them. But finally she could bring up her courage.

"Thank you, Vic, and I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble" she apologized, proud that she didn't slur.

"Damn right, you should be! Have you any idea how worried I was when you two had disappeared with no word in your current states?" he scolded yelling without a glance at her, "You could have passed out in mid-flight and killed yourself and him too! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I just thought of bringing my boyfriend home after he had thrown up! And nothing bad happened, so quit the scolding, 'Dad', I know I've messed up, okay? I didn't mean" she yelled at him. It was one thing if he was angry, but apparently he also was disappointed in her and she couldn't stand that thought. The guilt hurt more than the time she had seen Mal hit on that fan girl three months ago and tears started to dwell up in the corners of her eyes. In the same time the passion he spoke with allured and exited her despite her emotional turmoil but now wasn't the time to swoon over him.

"Well, next time you don't mean to mess up, just ask for someone else's help!" he shot right back.

"There's still no man alive who can tell me what to do, Cyborg!" she spat icily at him, still trying to ease her mind. But as she saw how the hurt expression shone through his features her own pain only increased.

"I am not trying to tell you what to do as a man, Karen, I am trying to advise you as a friend. So please take my advise: ask for help if you can't handle it on your own before you get into trouble. We were lucky they believed me the story of a fight you two had and that you had a concussion, not remembering anything for the time being. It won't look good in your record being arrested for driving – what includes in your case flying – under the influence of alcohol plus as an underage person" he sighed more calmly. Apparently his worst anger had steamed off.

She lowered her head in shame and guilt, mumbling: "You're right. I'm… I'm really sorry, Vic."

"Just… It would be great if you'd be more careful next time, okay?" he softly replied. She looked up to him again.

"I promise, I will" she answered with a tiny smile as she brushed over her eyes.

He slightly smiled as well at her words and added: "Feel free to sleep, if you're tired, I bet you are."

In a sudden mood of gratitude and fondness she leaned over, pecked him lightly on his cheek and repeated: "Thank you for being here." Then she cuddled into her seat and closed her eyes, not able to see the horrible blush he wore anymore, but constantly aware of it.

As she slid into slumber, while she thought about how much Vic made her feel, how alive and herself he made her feel, how deeply he cared for her and how he still respected her even if she was at fault, she could hear him softly reply: "I'm always there for you, Karen."

And she felt glad that she had turned away from him, because her tears started to fall, she was simply too exhausted to keep those tears of happiness and guilt and relieve and sadness and most of all confusion in any longer.

"Shoot" he said at the communicator, waiting patiently for her to open up like she had so many times in the past months.

"Vic…" she started, taking a deep breath and hoping for the best because she couldn't bear to disappoint him again, at least not tonight, "do you… do you think it's… unfaithful if I fall for another man when I am still in a relationship with another even if I don't love him anymore?"

For a reason unknown to her his human eye twitched slightly and displayed something that looked like… hurt. But there was no disappointment or disapproval as far as she could see.

"Depends. What do you and the new guy do?" he stated evenly despite his facial expression.

"Um, nothing really, he doesn't know how I feel about him, so… we just talk and text most of the time" she answered with an enormous blush on her face.

There was a moment of silence before he said: "Then you are just friends with the other, if I get it right."

"Yeah, you get it" she nodded, hoping he would just for once not be the genius he usually was and oversee the fact that she was obviously talking about him. She held her breath in the wait of his response

"I guess you are unfaithful, Karen" he began and her heart dropped until she heard him continue, "But only to yourself. If you love another then ditch Mal. Considering the way he's treating you he deserves nothing else. But if you still feel more for him, then move and make your relationship work again. Just stay true to your own feelings."

Her heart beat faster and an incredible joy grew inside her chest, wanting to be let out, but she had more to ask him, so she contained it inside.

"Then I'll break up with Mal. But… how long should I wait to tell the other and what if he won't love me back? I mean…"

"Karen, only a completely and utter dumbass wouldn't love a woman like you! And you should tell him when you feel ready to start something new. That's my opinion" he stated with a warm smile that bore a crooked trait, as if he was in pain. Maybe he thought she fell for someone else than him and… was hurt because he loved her too?

Hope flared up and fuelled her joy, so that she almost shouted in hurry:"ThankyouVicIgottagobreakingupwithMalAndI'llcallyouaferwardsBye!"

She closed her communicator and ran over to the window. With a glance on her clock she saw it was only twenty minutes past midnight. If she flew at high speed she could reach Mal, break up with him, be back at two o'clock and still get some sleep before her shift. And at noon she would immediately fly over to Vic. She wanted to tell him in person how she felt. And maybe show him as well a bit. For too long she had been deprived from passion…

According to her plan she had broken up with Mal, what he had gladly accepted (he finally could be true to his real love music) and instead of hurting her had left her with a feeling of sudden freedom. Only twelve hours later, which curiously felt like an eternity, she had landed on the roof of the Titans main tower, where a slightly surprised and for whatever reason frowning empath had indicated Vic's current whereabouts was the garage. She had rushed down the stairs and had busted into the room he was sitting, broodingly glaring at the T-Car. His head immediately turned as he heard her call: "Hey Sparky! What are you frowning at your baby? She misbehaved?"

"K-Karen? What the hell are you doing here?" he gasped in shock.

"Well, I follow your advice and after breaking up with someone I long time didn't love anymore I tell the guy I fell for my feelings. And unless you are an completely and utter dumbass, like you said, they won't be unrequited" she stated evenly despite her heartbeat skyrocketing through the roof due to her nervousness. To mask it all she had casually put one hand on her hips while she indifferently checked on the fingernails of the other.

He got up in a blur, stomped over to her and stopped only inches in front of her, towering over her with a contorted face and clenched fists.

"Don't… don't cha… dare joking about that!" he hissed trembling; steaming of so much heat she could feel it even without touching him.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze and declared: "I'd never joke about this, Vic."

Then she couldn't hold back herself anymore, threw herself at him and kissed him passionately. It didn't take him long to join in gladly, pulling her as close as he could without crushing her.

Two hours later they had exited the garage, each of them beaming so brightly the sun could have gotten envious.

Vic gathered everyone in the common room and announced them being an item, getting cheers and congratulations of his surrogate family. Only too soon Karen announced she needed to head back to Steel City. Raven kindly suggested to teleport her home and after another long lasting goodbye kiss between Vic and Karen, she left in the empaths' care.

But as Raven dropped her off on the roof of the east tower, she had called out for Karen once more.

"Just one more thing needs to be said" she started in her signature monotone. And to Karen's genuine surprise the green changeling dropped out of the air, apparently he had joined them as a fly on Raven's shoulder. She had already wondered before why they had shot each other so many glances…

"Cy is family to us" Beast Boy stated with an unusual stern expression on his face, taking his stance next to the half-demon, both crossing their arms over their chests, "and he went through hell the past months waiting for you to finally decide."

"We didn't like to see him in this condition…" Raven pursued.

"…not in the slightest. Because we care for each other. Cy is our big brother and we'll protect him no matter what" he finished her sentence.

"We won't accept if he'll not get treated right. If you hurt him, we'll hurt you. If you'll rip his heart in pieces, we will rip you into pieces" threatened Raven still in her calm monotone, not making it less frightening.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

Karen understood. She understood why Vic was so fond of his family, why he cherished them so much. They cared, they protected, they shared, they were there. And for the first time since she had become the leader of the Titans East she felt like something was missing. Sure, the four boys were her friends, but not at the same extend as the original team were to each other. Hope spread in her heart, that now she got Vic, maybe, she'd get more that she had hoped for first. And she understood that those two were probably those who'd need the most conviction to take her in and trust her.

With a warm smile Karen nodded and said: "I understand and I promise you right here and right now that I will do everything in my power to protect Vic from any harm, that I will never hurt him on purpose, that I won't make him wait like this ever again and that I will be faithful to him."

"Wow, we didn't ask you for your vows" the green teen chuckled, not able to deny his good hearted nature anymore.

Raven was more composed as she said with a tiny smile: "Yet. Take good care of him though."

"I will!" the dark beauty said wholeheartedly and saw them vanish in the black vortex the empathy conjured again. She asked herself how long it would take those two to finally realize their attraction for each other, clearly visible for anyone who spent more than five minutes with them together.

Back in the main tower, Raven and Beast Boy congratulated each other for their teamwork.

"I think we made ourselves clear enough" he smirked.

She returned the gesture as she replied: "I think so too. Good job."

"Do you think they'll be happy?" the younger asked with slight concern as they walked along down the hallway to their rooms.

"I guess. Why shouldn't they?" came her indifferent response.

He just shrugged: "Don't know. So… whatcha doing tonight?"

"Got a date with Ruben" Raven muttered with a slight blush. The sudden change of topic hadn't taken her aback and she was more open than before. But she wasn't usually bragging about her love life.

"That goth guy? Seriously, how many of them live in Jump City and why do you date each of them?" he grimaced with a shudder.

"I don't judge your dates with those Barbie dolls either" she growled slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, because 'Barbie dolls' is neither judgmental nor offensive…" he rolled his eyes and his voice dripping of sarcasm, imitating Raven's usual behavior almost perfectly.

"Well, what else should I call those girls? Their blond, twiggy, tanned and as bright as the space under the shelves in my room at midnight with new moon" she spat incredulously at his use of her own weapons against her. Sarcasm was her realm.

"At least they show emotions, what your guys aren't really experts! All they say is how everything is pointless, even the things you work so hard for and care about! I don't get it how you can stand them!" he exclaimed with a scowl.

"Whatever" she huffed and disappeared in her room, thinking about the last statement of her green friend. She never had seen it like they thought that things which were important to her were pointless in their opinion too…

He on the other hand growled in annoyance. It annoyed him that he had chased her away. Again. It annoyed him, that she had escaped their discussion so quickly and without a real argument at the end. But it mostly annoyed him that this would have been the most stimulating conversation he'd probably have despite his date with the blonde girl called Carrie. Or because of. Screw it, maybe Raven was right about the Barbie doll comment, he mused.

Ever since they got together Karen and Vic had seen each other as often as their tight schedules could afford it which seemed way too rarely for both of them. They called and texted on a very regularly base, still it never seemed enough.

After five months back and forth, they decided that the long distance thing wasn't theirs, so Karen requested to Nightwing, who Robin had become in the meantime, to join them in the main tower. Kid Flash had applied as her replacement after a short conversation, they agreed that the team East could fight crime in another pace with three speedsters, and soon all was settled.

At first she had her own room, but it soon became clear that they would share a room due to the amount of time they spent together. Not that they would do anything rash, they wanted to take it slow and were far from ready for too passionate intimacy. Plus Vic needed to do some more 'adjustments' at his body before he would be able. But the simple certainty that he was wanted by a woman as a man felt great.

Eventually Karen found her place among the family, especially since she had proposed to call each other at first names like she and Vic did, because it was only normal for a family. She even could deal with taking orders from Nightwing (or Richard or Dick, as he was called inside the tower), because he was family too.

The proof that she was completely accepted as family member came one morning at the tower, nine weeks after her moving in, as she and Vic had argued about something stupid and gotten carried away.

"You know there is no man alive telling me what to do when I don't want it to do!" she yelled.

"It's just about how to put things in the fridge, dammit! And if Dick would order it, you would have obliged without any argument! Why can he tell you what to do and I can't?" he shot right back.

"Because he is the leader of the team and head of the family. You are my boyfriend, my partner, we are equal and I don't take orders from an equal!" she insisted still angered.

"Oh, so maybe I am just in the way of you and your beloved leader! Or do you go and play around again? Going a bit unfaithful maybe?" he shouted viciously.

The last comment really had hurt her and she got quiet, tears forming in her eyes she tried desperately to hold back. And then their family intervened.

A dark energy blast lifted him of the floor, smashed him into the ceiling and back down on the ground. Over and over again.

"Bad Victor. That was mean. Go and apologize to your girlfriend properly after your punishment" Raven stated in her monotone without a single glance leaving her book.

Dick on the contrary looked up from his newspaper and stated: "Careful, Raven. If you trash him too much he won't be able to apologize at all…"

In the same time Gar (as they usually called Beast Boy now) put an arm around her shoulder, gave her a handkerchief and soothed her: "Don't be upset, Karen. It's not about you. Tin-jerk over there is just pissed because Gizmo shredded his baby on the night patrol. He loves you and doesn't mean those idiocies he told you, so please, cheer up, will you? And when Raven has finished trashing him we should play a round of tin can soccer…"

Kori (short for Koriand'r aka Starfire) joined them and side hugged her from the opposide and declared: "We can also go out and fly if it will help you with the easing of your mind" while she was completely oblivious to the pun Gar had intended.

It didn't matter how lame Gar's jokes were, how clueless Kori could be, it didn't matter how harsh Ravens punishments could seem and how unnerving calm Dick could stay in the middle of the whole disaster, they prove her that she was accepted in their little family, each of them in their own special way of kindness.

Of course Vic had apologized properly after he had been patched up again…


End file.
